Rosenstein just implied Trump could be indicted.

[OliverQ]

At his Newseum interview, he said the crap Republicans are pulling with trying to impeach him is ridiculous, and the DoJ won't be extorted by them.

He also said the DoJ has in the past "opined" that a sitting President can't be indicted, but that one should not make any determination of the current situation based on that.

Doesn't mean Mueller will indict him, but it does seem like Rosenstein is leaving the door open for that possibility.

[RandomAccess]

1. Personally, I think the "no indictment" guideline

sets the President up as king, immune from accountability to the law. It's not like we don't have a good, solid, long line of succession set up in the case something happens to the top dog -- or top criminal, as the case may be.

[FirstLight]

2. *snort* "top criminal"

...and the long line of succession will also no doubt be indicted as well. I wonder when the SHTF how many dominoes will actually fall, either by indictment or resignation in disgrace?

[RandomAccess]

3. I'm real worried not nearly enough -- as in -- no Pence

[ollie10]

6. Your concern is noted. Pence is an ass

But there are two little factoids that should be noted: 1) Trump is a danger to the world and our constitution, 2) as bad as Pence would be, he is not Donald Trump and we could rebuild any damage he does afterwards. Trump could be the literal end of the world, at least as we know it.

[RandomAccess]

7. I think I wasn't clear

MY concern is that there's been not enough indication that Mueller is going after Pence. And he must. Pence is every bit as dirty, at least during the transition and after, as Trump.

[ollie10]

9. OK. I agree. Pence is probably in it into his ears

[RandomAccess]

14. +1

[pnwmom]

10. I hate Pence, but he's only awful in the usual rightwing way. He's not Svengali.

He never hynotized Indiana and he won't cast a spell over the U.S.

[forgotmylogin]

21. Exactly. Pence is boring.

He will not whip up the frenzy Trump is able to with his racist reality show hucksterism.

[Rorey]

27. I agree, and in 2020, I don't think he would stand a chance

He's unlikable, and there's a lot of suspicion about him being involved in this mess. It may not be true, but the suspicion is still there.

[bluestarone]

11. AGREE here!! Also hope it doesn't stop there!! Lots of

Congress REPUBS need to be indicted also!ONCE AND FOR ALL, CLEAN OUT THE SWAMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RandomAccess]

13. +1

Lots. Like most of the ones with R after their names.

[BigmanPigman]

15. I was thinking about that this morning in fact.

I was trying to remember how many, who and when the people connected to Nixon and Watergate arrested. I think I heard 42 but I don't know their roles or if they were jailed before or after Nixon resigned.

[Eyeball_Kid]

16. It's also possible that Mueller has a sealed indictment with Pence's name on it.

There is plenty of evidence in the public domain that shows Pence to have given away state secrets to an unregistered foreign agent and then lied about it. If I know that, and a lot of everyday mopes know about it, then surely Mueller got the information, did his due diligence, and wrote up an indictment to be issued on a rainy day. He reportedly has dozens of indictments that will be unsealed at the right time. Recent implications of Mueller's investigations involve obstruction and conspiracy. But those are the loose ends that are being tied up. Remember that this investigation has been going on since August or September of 2016, beginning with Comey. That's a long time for fact-finding. And indeed, a lot of facts have been found.

[RandomAccess]

17. That's what I pray -- but I would still love a little reassurance

[lindysalsagal]

12. Yup. The point was to prevent potus from being buried with legalities, impeding the ability to do th

the job.

Well, since 45 impedes his own ability, and kicks up all the storms, anyway, that effing ship has sailed, like, to Bora Bora.

[NewJeffCT]

4. sure, there have been opinions that sitting presidents can't be indicted

but, we've also never had a treasonous and overwhelmingly corrupt mob boss occupying the oval office before, either.

[triron]

20. So right on that!

[duforsure]

5. If he can't be indicted

Then he is above the law, and everything in the oath he swore to uphold before entering office is a joke, and our justice system is a joke, where one man can do anything and not be held accountable. SO , I agree with Rosenstein no one is above the law , and everyone can be indicted, especially a sitting President , or you'll breed never ending corruption, and constant turmoil where the lucky few do as they please. Like in Russia now under putin.

[Ilsa]

22. I believe I agree with you. I realize that

no one wants the president prosecuted for frivolous, constant accusations, but there has to be accountability. Couldn't a judge rule on whether a charge merits proceeding?

[unblock]

8. very interesting to make a distinction between a past "opinion" and the "current situation"

the suggestion is that there's something substantively different about what's going on now that would make the old opinion not apply.

my guess is that the difference is in the present situation, there are also ongoing crimes, i.e., this is a criminal enterprise, not just a situations where crimes have occurred in the past.


if there are ongoing crimes, the argument for not waiting to indict is much more compelling.

[DallasNE]

18. Is This The First Case Under The Special Counsel Law?

That could explain a lot. Was the old opinion by the AG, which is a political position? That could also make a difference, meaning it is conflicted. We need to know more about the context.

[triron]

19. He most certainly did. And he did it intentionally.

Take note.

[paleotn]

23. If a President can be subpoenaed, why not indicted?

Nixon v. Fitzgerald states such. In short, a President is not immune from criminal prosecution from official and unofficial acts in office.

[OliverQ]

24. I assume based on the fact that impeachment and trial in the Senate is listed as the

only legal method to deal with a criminal president.

[paleotn]

25. I'm not sure if the SCOTUS rulling states impeachment as the only remedy...

From what I've read, it simply states a sitting President is not above the law, which in my mind opens up the possibility of criminal indictment regardless of what a feckless Congress does.

[Eliot Rosewater]

26. There is no bottle of champagne big enough if that day comes

[underthematrix]

28. Yes. Trump can be indicted because as Rosenstein

said you cannot extrapolate from this situation previous opinions about whether a sitting president can be indicted.

Here's erromneous assumption most people are starting with that Donald Trump is a sitting president.

That is not true. He's a Russian agent or asset OCCUPYING the Office of the US Presidency through a conspiracy to defraud the United States of a free and fair election.

If the FISA court finds Trump's statements and actions fall within the scope of the Espionage Act as an agent of a foreign government (Russia) and that he participated in a massive attack against the US then yes Trump will be indicted.

[triron]

29. knr

[triron]

30. kick for visibility

[HenryWallace]

31. Good god; the only thing more dangerous than a President Trump

.... is a President Pence!


But sure, distract people from the implosion that is Republican governance; it will make you feel better.